AGAD:1.51: Playtest games and give constructive feedback. 1.52: Iterate on their designs.

Lesson:1. After creating a game, game designers ask players to test the game.

Introduce the idea that playtesters play an important role in the game design process, and that giving good feedback is the key to helping others design amazing games.

* Did you know: Playtesting happens many times during the game design process. After a game is playtested, thedesigner can improve it based on the playtester’s feedback. Then, they playtest again, and continue the cycle until the game is fun and balanced.

2. Work with students to develop a list of “rules” for giving feedback to each other. This list might contain rules like “be positive in your language” or “give a specific example of an aspect of the game you liked, or that frustrated you.”

You might develop a list of starter phrases your class can use when offering feedback. For example:

“I thought you did a good job with/of ___.”

“One area I thought could be improved was ___.”

“The core mechanic was ___. It made it fun to ___.”

“The visual design was ___ and it made me think/feel ____.”

3. Hand out the Playtester Feedback Worksheet to each student and give them time to read over the questions. Explain that these are the questions they should think about when they are playing each other’s games. After they playtest, the designers and playtesters will talk about these questions together.

Activity:Playtest (30 minutes)

1. Group the class into pairs and have one student be the Playtester and one be the Presenter.

2. Have the Presenter set up the game they made in Lesson 4 and invite Playtesters to play it. Tell the students that an effective method in playtesting is for the presenters simply to watch the playtesters play without giving any comments or suggestions. This way they will see what their game looks like to someone who did not design it.

Encourage the groups to spend a few minutes talking about the questions on the Playtester Feedback worksheet after they’ve played the game.

3. About 15 minutes in, have the Playtesters and Presenters switch roles.

Iterate (25 minutes)

1. After students have received feedback from a playtesting session with their classmates, instruct them to write a list of up to three changes they would make to their game based on the feedback they received.

2. Give them time to iterate on their design and make the changes that they listed in step 1.

3. Encourage students to ask for another round of playtesting once they have made changes to their game. They can have the same playtester as in the first round, or ask for someone new.

This activity should unfold as a casual iteration and playtest workshop. Some students may be iterating on their designs while others are playtesting.

AGAD:1.51: Playtest games and give constructive feedback. 1.52: Iterate on their designs.

Lesson:1. After creating a game, game designers ask players to test the game.

Introduce the idea that playtesters play an important role in the game design process, and that giving good feedback is the key to helping others design amazing games.

* Did you know: Playtesting happens many times during the game design process. After a game is playtested, thedesigner can improve it based on the playtester’s feedback. Then, they playtest again, and continue the cycle until the game is fun and balanced.

2. Work with students to develop a list of “rules” for giving feedback to each other. This list might contain rules like “be positive in your language” or “give a specific example of an aspect of the game you liked, or that frustrated you.”

You might develop a list of starter phrases your class can use when offering feedback. For example:

“I thought you did a good job with/of ___.”

“One area I thought could be improved was ___.”

“The core mechanic was ___. It made it fun to ___.”

“The visual design was ___ and it made me think/feel ____.”

3. Hand out the Playtester Feedback Worksheet to each student and give them time to read over the questions. Explain that these are the questions they should think about when they are playing each other’s games. After they playtest, the designers and playtesters will talk about these questions together.

Activity:Playtest (30 minutes)

1. Group the class into pairs and have one student be the Playtester and one be the Presenter.

2. Have the Presenter set up the game they made in Lesson 4 and invite Playtesters to play it. Tell the students that an effective method in playtesting is for the presenters simply to watch the playtesters play without giving any comments or suggestions. This way they will see what their game looks like to someone who did not design it.

Encourage the groups to spend a few minutes talking about the questions on the Playtester Feedback worksheet after they’ve played the game.

3. About 15 minutes in, have the Playtesters and Presenters switch roles.

Iterate (25 minutes)

1. After students have received feedback from a playtesting session with their classmates, instruct them to write a list of up to three changes they would make to their game based on the feedback they received.

2. Give them time to iterate on their design and make the changes that they listed in step 1.

3. Encourage students to ask for another round of playtesting once they have made changes to their game. They can have the same playtester as in the first round, or ask for someone new.

This activity should unfold as a casual iteration and playtest workshop. Some students may be iterating on their designs while others are playtesting.

1. Divide the students into 4 groups and ask them to first play, then modify Musical Chairs (or an- other game of your choice). Their challenge is to do so based on one of the following challenge criteria:

Modify two rules such that the game becomes harder to play.

Add two new rules such that the game becomes faster.

Modify the rules such that the game becomes unwinnable.

Add one rule that affects the movement of the players.

Modify one rule that would allow players to cheat.

Use index cards to create the challenge criteria.

2. Either assign groups one of the challenge criteria or have them draw one for their group out of a hat.

3. Once each group has received a challenge criteria send the groups off to separate spaces in the room to work on their game. Encourage them to playtest throughout their design process. If your class is small, you can have the students work in a single group, and do this exercise several times, using a different challenge criteria each time.

Circle Up15 minutes

1. Present and play each of the modified games. Discuss the kinds of changes they chose to make to meet their challenge criteria. Were there differences in the kinds of rules they had to work with? Which were easier or more difficult to alter?

Design25 minutes

1. Students are now challenged to repeat this process within Gamestar Mechanic, modifying one of the games they have made in a previous session using the challenge criteria listed above.

2. If time allows, have them build a game with multiple levels, all based on the same game. Each level is then modified based on the challenge criteria.

1. Divide the students into 4 groups and ask them to first play, then modify Musical Chairs (or an- other game of your choice). Their challenge is to do so based on one of the following challenge criteria:

Modify two rules such that the game becomes harder to play.

Add two new rules such that the game becomes faster.

Modify the rules such that the game becomes unwinnable.

Add one rule that affects the movement of the players.

Modify one rule that would allow players to cheat.

Use index cards to create the challenge criteria.

2. Either assign groups one of the challenge criteria or have them draw one for their group out of a hat.

3. Once each group has received a challenge criteria send the groups off to separate spaces in the room to work on their game. Encourage them to playtest throughout their design process. If your class is small, you can have the students work in a single group, and do this exercise several times, using a different challenge criteria each time.

Circle Up15 minutes

1. Present and play each of the modified games. Discuss the kinds of changes they chose to make to meet their challenge criteria. Were there differences in the kinds of rules they had to work with? Which were easier or more difficult to alter?

Design25 minutes

1. Students are now challenged to repeat this process within Gamestar Mechanic, modifying one of the games they have made in a previous session using the challenge criteria listed above.

2. If time allows, have them build a game with multiple levels, all based on the same game. Each level is then modified based on the challenge criteria.

1. Divide the students into 4 groups and ask them to first play, then modify Musical Chairs (or an- other game of your choice). Their challenge is to do so based on one of the following challenge criteria:

Modify two rules such that the game becomes harder to play.

Add two new rules such that the game becomes faster.

Modify the rules such that the game becomes unwinnable.

Add one rule that affects the movement of the players.

Modify one rule that would allow players to cheat.

Use index cards to create the challenge criteria.

2. Either assign groups one of the challenge criteria or have them draw one for their group out of a hat.

3. Once each group has received a challenge criteria send the groups off to separate spaces in the room to work on their game. Encourage them to playtest throughout their design process. If your class is small, you can have the students work in a single group, and do this exercise several times, using a different challenge criteria each time.

Circle Up15 minutes

1. Present and play each of the modified games. Discuss the kinds of changes they chose to make to meet their challenge criteria. Were there differences in the kinds of rules they had to work with? Which were easier or more difficult to alter?

Design25 minutes

1. Students are now challenged to repeat this process within Gamestar Mechanic, modifying one of the games they have made in a previous session using the challenge criteria listed above.

2. If time allows, have them build a game with multiple levels, all based on the same game. Each level is then modified based on the challenge criteria.